Assigjstoes to caebide



Patented Apr. 11, 1933 HENRY L. cox, or sou'rn CHARLESTON, AND'PAUL s.GBEER, or CHARLESTON, we,

VIRGINIA, ASSIGNORS T0 CARBIDE PORATION NEW YORK PRESERVATION 0F ETHYLETHER N0 Drawing.

This invention provides an improvement in the preservation of ethylether.

Ethyl ether has numerous applications which necessitate the preparationand preservation of this compound in a state of extreme purity. It ispossible to control satisfaotorily the original state of purity of theether by the processes by which it is made. However, ethyl ether underall ordinary storage, shipping, and handling conditions, undergoesspontaneous deterioration with the formation of difficultlyremo-vabledeleterious impurities. It is almost universal practice touseglass containers for the storage of materials which are to be kept ina state of extreme purity. Ethyl ether tends to deteriorate even inglass containers.

The principal object of our invention is to provide an improvement forthe preservation of ethyl ether whereby it may be shipped and storedwithout becoming contaminated with objectionable impurities. Anotherobject is to provide preserving agents by means of which ethyl ether maybe preserved in a pure state.

We have discoveredthat the objects of this invention may be attained bysubjecting the ether tobe preserved to the action of a metallicpreserving agent of the group consisting of metallic chromium, metallicnickel, and iron alloys containing both chromium and nickel. The ethylether may be subjected to the action of these preserving agents in anydesired manner, as for example, a quantity of the preserving agent maybe added to the ether in an ordinary container, such as one made ofglass; the ether may be stored in a container formed entirely of themetallic preserving agent; or a large part of the interior surface of anordinary container may be formed of the preserving agent as plating,flashing or any other desired form. The effectiveness of our improvementin preserving ether is shown by the fact that it will keep ethyl etherin a pure state, and that even when originally contaminated withimpurities the ether after being stored in accordance with our inventionmay show a decrease in the content of impurities.

Application filed February 20, 1932.. Serial No. 595,420.

The followin xamples illustrate theinvention 1. One quart of ethyl etherwas stored for two months in a clear glass bottle in which" was immerseda strip of an iron alloy con-w taining.18% Grand 8% N i. At thebeginning of the'period theether sample by test was found to-eontain asmall quantity; ofim purities, and at the. "end of the two months periodthe ether tested free from impuriin a glass bottle without the stripof.alloy was found {to contain anobjectionable amount of impuritiesafterfl24 hol irsof storage. a V V .2. Two identical onev quart sample'sof ethyl ether free from impurities were storedin glass bottles.Astrip'of chromium plat? ed aluminum.- was placed in one bottle andnothing was added' to the other. The bottle sample ofcether developed anobjectionable quantity ofimpurities after 24 vhours of storage.

PATENT armed:

& CARBON CHEMICALS oonrom'rron, A con ties An identical sample of ether;placed Identical samples of pure ethyl ether were placed in glassvbottles to one of which afew pieces ofrscrap nickel were added. I

Afterstanding for 6 Weeks thesample which was subjected to the actiono-fnickel was' substantially; free from detrimental impurities,while-the sample kept in a plain glass-bottlecontained an objectionablequantity of im-} purities after standing-forj2ho1lrs We claim:'

1. The improvement in l the preservation of ethyl ether, which ethertends-to deteriorate under ordinary storage conditionsceven' in glasscontainers, which consists in subjecting theethylether'to'the action ofa metallic.

substance selected from the group composed of metallic chromium,metallic nickel, and iron alloys containing both chromium and nickelwhereby to diminish the content of detrimental impurities.

2. The improvement in the preservation of ethyl ether, which ether tendsto deteriorate under ordinary storage conditions even in glasscontainers, which consists in subjecting the ethyl ether to the actionof a metallic substance selected from the group composed of metallicchromium, metallicnickel, and iron alloys containing about 18% 5 ofchromium and about 8% of nickel whereby to diminish the content ofdetrimental im-- purities.

3. The improvement in thepreservation of ethyl ether, which ether tendsto. deteriorate,

10 under ordinary storage conditions even in glass containers, whichconsists in subjecting the ethyl ether to the action, of iron alloyscontaining both chromium and nickel whereby to diminish the content ofdetrimental impurities. V

4. The improvement in the preservation of ethyl ether, which ether tendsto deteriorate under ordinary storage conditions even in glasscontainers, which consists in subjecting the ethyl ether to the actionof iron alloys containing about 18% of chromium and about 8% of nickelwhereby to diminish the content of detrimental'impurities.

5. The improvement in the preservation of ethyl ether, which ether tendsto deteriorate under ordinary storage conditions even in glasscontainers, which consists in subjecting the ethyl ether to the actionof metallic chromium whereby to diminish the content of detrimentalimpurities.

6. The improvement in the preservation of ethyl ether, which ether tendsto deteriorate under ordinary storage conditions even in glasscontainers, which consists in subjecting the ethyl ether to the actionof metal-V lic chromium in the form of a chromium plated materialwhereby to diminish the content of detrimental impurities.

g 7. The improvement in the preservation of ethyl ether, which ethertends to deteriorate under ordinary storage conditions even in glasscontainers, which consists in subjecting the ethyl ether to the actionof metallic nickel whereby to diminish thecontentof detrimentalimpurities. y

8. The improvement in the preservation of ethyl ether, which ether tendsto deteriorate under ordinary storage consisting in subjecting the ethylether to the action of the surfaces which comprises a substantialproportion of metallic nickel whereby to diminish the content ofdetrimental impurities.

In testimony'whereof, we afiix our signatures, n

HENRY L. COX.

PAUL S. GREER.

